HAMPSHIRE'S police chief has urged the Home Secretary to "see sense" over the pay dispute that today saw over 20,000 officers on a protest march.

Chief Constable Paul Kernaghan said it wasn't too late for the government to settle the dispute as he pledged his support for the rally in London.

In a statement to the Daily Echo he voiced his own anger at the way officers had been treated by the Home Officer, branding the Home Secretary's decision to not to backdate the pay rise as agreed as "shabby".

He added: "In truth the police service has been badly treated in pursuit of goals which are by no means clear. I would hope that even at this late stage, the Home Secretary might see sense.

"In an attempt to be constructive, one possible solution would be for her to bring the next pay year forward to June 1, this year. However, I am not clear that the Home Office actually wants to settle this unnecessary dispute and move forward. Police officers deserve decent treatment, as opposed to meaningless tributes undermined by leaks and shoddy reasoning."

Some 375 officers from Hampshire joined 20,000 national colleagues on the march through the streets of the capital

A rally has been organised at Central Hall in Westminster before representatives of each force in the country hand in a petition to the Home Office.

Leading rank and file officers from Hampshire is the county's Police Federation chairman Geoff Crowe.

He said: "Officers are angry that the Government has not kept to its part of the bargain.

"The federation entered into negotiations and then binding arbitration on what now appears to have been a foregone conclusion that they would limit our pay rise below two per cent.

The county's officers, who are taking part in the rally in their own time and expense, will be supported by a number of Hampshire MPs who have pledged their support.

Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester Mark Oaten and his party colleague Sandra Gidley, who represents Romsey, have both signed the Early Day Motion in the Houses of Parliament in support of the police claim.

The row between the national federation and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith blew up in December after she revealed the 2.5 per cent pay rise for police would not be backdated.

Federation bosses claimed the pay rise amounted to just 1.9 per cent, as it started on December 1 and not in September as agreed.